TACLOBAN CITY- Mayor Cristina Romualdez issued an appeal to those who oppose the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
The city mayor said that as a Christian nation, forgiving is one of its virtues.
Romualdez, who is married to former mayor Alfred Romualdez who is a nephew of former first lady and now Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos, said that it’s about time for us to forgive whatever misdeeds Marcos had done during his 20 year rule and allow him to be buried “properly” befitting his former position as a former president.
“Dapat magmahalan na tayo; magkapatawaran and should move on. We cannot move forward kung walang reconciliation and forgiveness kung totoo tayong Kristiyano,” Romualdez said.
“I really feel that Marcos, (he was) president for 20 years, deserves a proper burial. He was also a former soldier,” she added.
Human rights groups in the country and victims of martial law are opposing the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani saying he does not deserve to be buried there considering what he did to the country and its people during his iron-fisted rule of two decades.
Marcos was ousted through the first People Power EDSA Revolution in 1986.
But Mayor Romualdez, whose own father, Jose Mari, was a supporter of former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino who defeated Marcos during the 1986 snap presidential elections, maintained that the late strongman deserves a proper burial.
“Kailangan huwag na tayong magkakampi.We should actually forget whatever happened in the past and move forward and give him the proper burial that he deserves,” she said.
Asked about the opposition of the human rights victims, Mayor Romualdez declined to comment reiterating her personal belief that Marcos should be buried where his family wishes.
In the region, the Commission on Human Rights documented 4,040 human rights abuses during the Marcos regime.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
